Maybe, Ozai wasn't always a bad guy?
by LumosMaximan
Summary: I read that before Fire Lord Ozai became deranged he was actually a good father, I just wrote this about their family on Ember Island, back before he changed...
1. Maybe Ozai wasn't always a bad guy?

Fire Lord Ozai, probably the most feared and deranged Fire Lord that had ruled the Fire Nation, and was mad enough to self-title himself the Phoenix King. His craving for power, to rule all four nations, to make the one superior nation: The Fire Nation World. Everyone hated him; well everyone excluding Azula, and all believed he needed to be stopped. Yet the Fire Lord is human, and he could to have been born this evil, but was influenced badly by his father, who too had the delusional craze to rule the world following the footsteps of the man who started it all; Fire Lord Sozin. However he was never this cruel or sadistic, only one woman knew that, one woman who respected that, the open woman who was banished due to her deep motherly love to her son and the fact she would even leave to let her husband be the Fire Lord. How would a woman so selfless fall for some so selfish? Maybe, Ozai wasn't always evil?

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The sun made the sea war glisten and sparkle, the white soft beach left untouched by man, and upon the rocky cliff nestled neatly between the palms and boulders, sat the summer home for the Fire Nation Royal Family. A perfect paradise for a quick royal getaway. It was a frequently use location for one Prince Ozai, and his wife Ursa, along with their two children, Zuko and Azula.

A Fire Nation ship set course for Ember Island, on the top deck, a tall man was practically leaning over the rail with a broad smile upon his face, letting the sun's rays light up his ivory skin, and make his ebony hair shine. He was full of joy and excitement. Ursa giggled as she approached her husband from behind, "One could easily get confused. Are you the Fire Nation Prince or just a big kid wanting to go and play on the beach?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He sighed and lent into her warm embrace. She watched as his smile grew, if was possible to stretch any further than it physically could. "I know, I know, but it just, we haven't been back here since Azula was born! Ember Island! Where we had our honeymoon, where we took Zuko on his first vacation and besides you deserve a break!" he turned to wrap his arms around her petite waist and pulled her close.

"Uh-huh sure a rest, a rest from separating Zuko and Azula, your children by the way, from try to attack each other, and stopping your mother from trying to steal my mothering job and also trying to stop you from wanting more kids..." she was silenced by Ozai placing a delicate kiss upon her rose lips, she sighed and placed her head upon his should and watched the waves with his arms still securely around her, making her feel happy and safe."Besides, what's wrong with wanting more kids?" he asked casually resulting in a playful slap on his arm by Ursa.

"Sure, we can have another child..." she smiles to him.

"Really?" Ozai's eyes widened, believing he was joking,

"Sure, also as your prepare to be pregnant and carry the child for 9 months, have crazy maids hound you every 3 minutes and then once you have the child, realising that your clothes don't fit as well as they used to? If you want to do that then, sure we can have another kid." she smiled as she placed a kiss on a rather dazed Ozai, chuckling she left his still in his trance. He didn't know how long it was until a voice awoke him from his trance, "Prince Ozai, we are approaching Ember Island," one of the crew called from the cabin.

"Excellent, thank you" he called back and looked at the tropical paradise that he was so used to and loved.

By the time they finally approached the holiday home, Ozai was practically bouncing with excitement, causing Ursa to be extremely amused that this was the mature, intelligent, and well rounded Prince she had married 10 yrs. ago. Yet again he wasn't only the excited one to be here, Zuko too was overjoyed to be back the holiday home and the little 8 yr. old fire-bender was running around the home, practically knocking over every piece of loose furniture. Ursa sighed 'Looks like I'll be cleaning most of this vacation' she thought as she moved the vase away from the edge of a table and onto a high cupboard out of the reach of small children. Ozai insisted that they had total privacy and asked for none of the servants or guards to be present on this vacation allowing them to do it all themselves, to the pleasure and dismay to Ursa, sure she can cook and clean but having to look after 2 (maybe 3 if he counts) kids whilst trying to relax herself. But being the strong, powerful and beautiful Princess she was she could handle this, if she could control Ozai, she could do anything.

"Mommy, Mommy can I go play in the water? Please? I promise I won't use any fire!" little Zuko begged his mother, grabbing onto the rim of her outer dress and tugging it desperately. Ursa smiled and nodded slightly down at the little boy. His golden eyes lit up in wonder and a beautiful smile appeared on his face, cheering for joy as he dashed away. "That your father with you, I don't want you going by yourself." called to him as he ran out the back door. Shifting Azula from one hip to another, she looked at her dozing 6 yr. old in her arms; she smiled and gently kissed the child's brow. Little eyelashes began to flutter and small sleepy eyes shone into her golden ones. "Hello Sleepyhead..." she said with a smile. Azula wiped her eyes with her hand and looked around; a little confused expression appeared on her tiny face as she looked to where she was. "Mommy, where are we? We're not at home are we?' she asked in a cute voice. Ursa kissed her cheek and smiled.

"Well, we are at home, but just a beach home sweetheart, not the palace." she said gently, Azula nodded and wiggled slightly, wanting to get down and stretch her legs. Ursa gently lowered the 6 yr. old as she slowly ran out the back door towards the sound of the ocean.

Ursa sighed once again and moved to sit on one of the large pushy sofas in the living room, she turned and gazed out the window and saw her husband playing in the sand with her two children. She smiled. 'This is going to be a nice vacation' she thought to herself as she watched her little family.

Slowly but surely; the sun began to set on the first day of the vacation, and Ursa had just about finished making a light dinner, she may have been a Princess but she definitely knew how to cook she was completely useless and definitely not materialistic at all. She watched as Ozai quietly and carefully crept into the house, carrying in both arms two very tired but very happy children. Ursa smiled and made her way to her children and placed a careful kiss upon each of their foreheads and gently kissed Ozai's lips. He smiled and turned to carry his sleepy children upstairs and into bed. Ursa smiled fondly at her husband as he was doing his fatherly duty, this was one his moments that made her believe was the right choice of a husband and that he would change this war and create peace between the four nations.


	2. Kids? Where are you!

The next day brought more excitement between the royal families. Ursa awoke alone in the overwhelming bed that sat centre in the room, he husband's side cold, noting he had left quite a while ago. She couldn't hear screaming or the sound of furniture breaking - meaning she could hear her children. She grew weary and grabbed her gown before making the way out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Still no sign of her family. She exited out the back and on to the porch to look over the private beach behind the house, still no sight of them. She began to get worried, it was not like her husband to just get up and disappear, along with her two children. She began panic and started to call out their names throughout the house and she went down to the stretch of the beach. Half way down she stopped and was taken away by the amazing sight.

There sat on the sandy ground was a blanket adorned with all types of food, an umbrella perched by to provide a little shade, cushions arranged comfortably along the blanket. And most importantly there was her family. She watched her children actually worked together to make the little cosy spot comfy, whilst Ozai lit a pile of logs to make a nearby fire with just a wave of his hand, small flames escaped his finger tips and set them alight. "Ok, Azula go get your mother, Zuko you wait her with me to surprise her..." he stopped as he looked up and saw his wife. He eyes glassy and her hands covering her mouth.

"What's all this?" she quietly asked as she slowly approached the little area that her family had produced moments ago.

"We just wanted to make things relaxing for you and not make you think you had to do all of the work." Ozai said, a small blush creeping onto the man's face. Ursa gasped, he hadn't blushed like that since he was a teenage when he first talked to her. She strode over and grabbed the man as she crushed her lips to his. Ozai instantly melted into the kiss, before things got to heat, the little giggles of their children separated them, they turned to see to small children laughing and covering their eyes.

"You didn't really have to do all of this..." she began, gently stroking his arm, leaning close to his chest. His glorious smile that made her weak at the knees said it all.

"You right, I didn't have to" he began, leaning in to kiss her brow, "I wanted to, for you I would do anything. I love my Ursa". That was it. His Ursa. _His_ Ursa. And she definitely would not want to be anyone else's.

She sat on the comfortably constructed area and watched as her husband played with their children; 'He really is a great father' she though with a sigh. She loved how protective he was and would never let anyone hurt his children or his wife. No-one. She also noticed how a little vacation to Ember Island could make her two rowdy children who constantly seem to be at war with one another, practically seem as best friends. She saw how Zuko picked her up and swung her around before both falling onto the sand, followed by a burst of laughter between the little prince and princess. Watching her children she did notice the strong arms soon wrapped around her waist and the head nestled on her shoulder. She smiled and turned to face the man she adored. "What you thinking?" he asked as he gently kissed her shoulder. She gently caressed his cheek with her hand and pulled him closer.

"I am thinking how wonderful my life is. How I have the perfect home. The two most wonderful children. And most of all of a loving, brave, honest and handsome gentleman of a husband" finishing with a little kiss upon his nose. Ozai chuckled to himself and laid his head back onto her shoulder; closed his eyes to listen. He heard the roaring of the waves against the shore. The noisy call of the sea birds flying over head. The wind in the palm trees. And the scream of Azula. Wait! Azula...screaming!

His eyes darted open and scanned across the beach. He couldn't see his neither son nor his daughter. He had only taken his eyes off them for practically a second and now they had disappeared. He rapidly jumped to his feet and began to run along the stretch of private beach, checking between the boulder and cliff side near the ocean, he looked back to see Ursa too had a face full or panic, she began calling out their names, "Azula! Zuko! Where are you! Zuko! Azula!" He darted back towards her and held her tightly.

"I'm going to find them! Stay here, in case they come back! I promise you, I **am** going to find them" giving her a chaste kiss before dashing down the rest of the beach.

He continued running constantly calling their names. He abruptly stopped. He came to the edge of the beach that leads into the dense jungle of the island. 'No, they wouldn't...' he though and braved calling their names. "Zuko! Azula!" he yelled doubting he would hear anything through the thick twist of wood. He stood silently, waiting, for a sign, a little sign that would let him know. He was about the look somewhere else when he hears a high pitch scream...a little girl's scream! HIS little girl's scream! "Daddy!" he faintly heard, coming from the direction of the jungle.

"Azula!" he called, blasting his way through the green jungle, the intense heat coming from his hands devoured everything in his path. He wanted his children and a pesky jungle was not going to stop him.

"Daddy! Daddy, where are you?" the little girl's voice yelled past the trees and into his ears.

"Azula! Azula, keep talking, sweetie! Daddy's coming!" he yelled, the simple blasts of fire becoming a rampage of heat.

He carried on through till he came to a little clearing. There was a river that lead down to an extremely fast flowing waterfall that and at the bottom was a medley of rapids, boulders and jagged rocks. Several trees twisted over the flowing river; there was something in one of them, hanging dangerously over the edge. He again heard the cry of his daughter, and there he saw her. Azula was standing at the edge of the river, the foot of the waterfall looking up. Red puffy eyes and tear streaks down her face. His heart was racing. "Azula!" he called as he darted towards her, scooping the 6 yr. Old into his strong arms, holding her tight. Protecting her. He was breathing hard to relief of his daughter safe. However she was pushing out of his grasp, determined to be free.

"No! Daddy! Zuko! What about Zuko!" she kept calling to him. His eyes widened with panic as he frantically looked around the river bed, both side to see his son.

"Zuko!" he yelled. His hand was being tugged by Azula, he looked down to see her looking up and pointing to the object in the tree that was hanging dangerously over the edge of the waterfall.

"Oh my spirits..." he breathed. The object in the tree...was Zuko!

Zuko clung to the branch as tight as he could with his one arm, his legs wrapped tightly around it. His other arm stretched out as far as he could reach. What he was reaching...there on the end of the branch, was a stuck little turtle duck, which chirped rapidly for someone to save him. Zuko carefully shuffled forward desperate to rescue the little animal. "Come on little guy, come closer..." his voice called to the distressed creature.

"Zuko! Zuko, what are do you think you are doing?" Ozai screamed in horror. He pulled Azula away from the river edge and placed her on a boulder. "Azula, stay here, I have to get your brother!" before scrambling away to climb the steep side of the waterfall. He frantically pulled himself up onto the cliff face using the vine hanging over edge. However these vines where annoyingly slippy, he struggled to get a decent grasp.

Zuko remained in the tree still determined to free this turtle duck. He made a bold move and pulled himself closer to the animal, and to the end of the branch. It was now pushing the hanging branch lower into the running water. Back at the base of the tree, the branch began to strain and ache in pain, small crack started to grown along the side, and the frantic movement of the animal and the weight of Zuko caused the underside to snap. Zuko was now hanging on a broken branch. The boy felt the sudden jolt of the branch. Panicking he reached forward and managed to pry the twigs sticking into the animal away from its wings. However little turtle duck saw Zuko as a threat rather than a hero, and began to peck furiously at his fingers. "Hey, no, you stupid animal, I'm trying to save you!" he growled before finally pulling the last wig away, freeing the turtle duck. However grateful it was not; it flapped its wings frantically causing Zuko to lose his grip to fall to the underside of the branch.

Now desperate holding on to the branch just by his fingers, he was scared. "Dad! Daddy!" he screamed. Ozai, now at the trunk of the tree, saw his son now hanging on for his life.

"Zuko! Don't! Move!" he exclaimed and looked around frantically for something to pull the boy to safety.

The branch could now no longer hold Zuko, with one final groan...it snapped.

"ZUKO!" Ozai roared.


End file.
